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“No, she isn't dead I got her to the hospital in time”

I s hard Never thought anything could hurtapart All ofso fuckin' hard to be a man and not cry

“She slit her wrists and hoped I wouldn't notice until it was too late”

I scrub my hands over my face and sink down in the chair behind me

Oh, baby What have you done?

“Will she be okay?' I don't want to go tobut okay when I'one I need to know Vidal will take care of her and ain

“I don't know, Ghost I honestly don't know Will she be okay if I go through with this and kill you? Even though I ought to after what you did? No, I don't think she will be”

I close my eyes, and for the first time in my life, I pray to whoever is up there to keep my baby safe To heal her heart and help her od, I want her to have the best life

“You have to help her, Draven” Yeah, yeah, I know I' hi left to lose “You have to help her move on from me Help her”

“I a her Come with me”

I nod and follow hih the clubhouse with h I'll miss them all, even in death

Prez and Ha on their bikes either side of the black SUV, which souard opens the back door of I cli

I didn't wanna die with this fear for Avery inside ofto with it buried deep inside ofif she'll ever be okay or not

I don't want to leave her, I want to hold her close to row old with her the way I promised ould Fuck, I wanted to make her my wife, start a fa that was really mine

Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous co from a man like me But I wanted it all I wanted a wife and a child of my own I stil

l want that for her I want her to find soive her it all, and I don't want her to feel any guilt about it

“You should think yourself lucky that my brother thinks so much of you You're lucky that I love my cousin as much as I do my sister”

I look at hi to prove so

“I'ht, Ghost One chance to prove to me that you can take care of Avery the way she deserves Now, this ain't easy formy cousin over to a biker, even if you are Italian” By blood and name only There ain't nothin' Italian about me

Wait “What are you sayin'?”

“That I' you be with Avery”

“And the falia will just approve that?”

He soes In the end But letmove and I swear there will be no one that will be able to save you”

I take a shuddering breath My heart is beating out ofto ive her the life she deserves There ain't no one alive ill hurt her, because I will fuckin'to ”

“Then go to her And you make her happy, Ghost”

It's only now I notice through the tinted s that we've pulled up outside the hospital

“Second floor Room fifteen”

I don't wait for another word, don't even acknowledge Shepard and Ha toward the rooht to that fact Vidal just gave me back my life

I swing the door to her roo in bed, eyes closed, blanket pulled up to her chest, arauze, IV in her left hand, Maria by her side And it's only nohen I glance at her do I see the resemblance I see Hammer in her features